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In other words, objects can be substituted for one another, which is definitely not the case with either the source or the aim of an instinct.
B. Death Instinct concept
1. Freud’s theory
An instinct is defined as an inborn psychological representation of an inner somatic source of excitation. The psychological representation is called a wish,
and the bodily excitation from which it stems is called a need. Thus, the state of hunger may be described in psychological terms as a condition of nutritional
deficit in the tissues of the body whereas psychologically it is represented as a wish for food. The wish acts as a motive for behavior. The hungry person seeks
food. Instincts are considered therefore to be the propelling factors of personality. Not only do they drive behavior but they also determine the direction that the
behavior will take. In other words, an instinct exercises selective control over conduct by increasing one’s sensitivity for particular kinds of stimulation. The
hungry person is more sensitive to food stimuli; the sexually arouse person is more likely to respond to erotic stimuli.
An Instinct is divided to be two kinds: life instinct Eros and death instinct thanatos. “Life instinct is the instinct that directed to the conservation of the
individual and species. These instincts include the bodily urges of hunger, thirst, sex, and so on. But they also include creative urges, such as art, music, literature,
love, and cooperation. In Freud’s view the life instincts are responsible for all our positive thoughts and acts. But eventually Freud felt compelled to recognize the
dark, menacing side of human nature. People start wars, harm one another, and
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commit suicide. To account our destructive urges, he invented the idea of death instinct or thanatos,”
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it’s the destructive the individual and species. Humans have not one but two primary instinct, the life favoring
instinct Eros, one of the Greek words for love, and the death instinct Thanatos, the Greek word for death
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In Psychoanalytic theory, the death drive opposes Eros. Here Eros is
characterized as the tendency towards cohesion and unity, whereas the death drive is the tendency towards destruction. The death drive is sometimes referred to as
Thanatos in post-Freudian thought, but this Classical term has no basis in Freuds own work
Later, Freud added the concept of Thanatos, or death force, to his Eros theory of human behavior. Contrary to the libido energy emitted from the Eros,
Thanatos energy encourages destruction and death Freud claimed that the displacement of negative energy of the
Thanatos onto others is the basis of aggression.
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In this conflict between Eros and Thanatos, some of the negative energy of
the thanatos is directed toward others, to prevent self destruction of the individual. An important derivative of the death instincts is the aggressive drive.
Aggressiveness is self-destruction turned outward against substitute objects. A person fights with other people and is destructive because his death wish is
blocked by the forces of the life instinct and by other obstacles in his personality that counteracts the death instinct.
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David Hothersall, Psychology, Ohio: Charless E merill publishing company, 1985 page. 370
17
httpwww.deathreference.comDa-EmDeath-Instinct.html
18
Ibid 3
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The death instinct or thanatos is directed to two directions: in self and out self. The death instinct that is directed to in self is appearing on suicide acts or
masokhis. The death instinct is directed to out self or to other person is appearing
on murder, mistreatment, and destructive acts. 2. Erich Fromm theory
Fromm suggests three kinds of escape of freedom’s type, they are: 1.
Otoritarianism. Its occurred in two ways, first subject to the man’s authority. To be passive and bent down. Second, to be otoriter its mean
you will be establish of man’s structure. Fromm said that the most extreme type of otoritarianism are masokism
and sadism. According to him both of this characteristics make people are authorized by their wish to play their strange and different character
of another people. Even sadism is crueler than masokhis, can not choose what they should do.
2. Destructive. Otoriters people perceive their suffering by disparaging
even by destroying their self” if I am not existing that sure no one can hurt me again”. But also there are people perceive this suffering by
directing to another “ if I destroy the world, no one can hurt me again”. This is the most method of freedom’s escape that is done. Their type is
variety begin from violent, vandalism, contemptible, terrorism etc. Fromm added that evil is people’s wish to destroy is prevented by the
condition around them, they will direct this wish to their self the most extremes of destroying own self is suicide. Fromm changes the death
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instinct of Freud because the wish of destroying own self is shape of hopelessness.
3. Conform of otomaton. Otoriter’s people escape of freedom by method
of hiding in otoriter hierarchies aouthority.
3. Alfred Adler’s theory
